Trail Work and Huckleberries

It's almost late summer already. The bugs are gone, the trails are high, and the mountain air is clean. It's a great season to get out there with a shovel and move some serious dirt.

WTA's late summer calendar is packed with trail maintenance work parties, taking on a plethora of projects from brushing neglected trail to tread restoration. And you won't even have to bring your own snacks. We've selected some upcoming work parties where the trails are sure to be lined with bushes teaming with ripe, juicy purple mountain huckleberries. Ah… heaven on earth.

Although there are several varieties of huckleberries in the Northwest, the Cascade huckleberry, abundant in Washington's high country, is a hiker's favorite. Just find a trail that takes you above 2000 feet in the Cascades or Olympics, and look for the bushes in open meadows, long lakesides, or in former lake beds. Sunny slopes with southern exposures are particularly good spots for berryfinding. The best time for Cascade huckleberries is late August through September.

Wildlife love huckleberries too. Birds eat the berries in great quantities and spread the seeds far and wide. One note of caution — your best chance of encountering a black bear in the Cascades is probably in a high field of berries, feasting for the same reason you are. Huckleberries are darn tasty.

Here are five upcoming WTA work parties where your good deed will be rewarded with tasty huckleberries.

Tonga Ridge, Alpine Lakes Wilderness

If you like easy ridge walks and don't mind sharing your huckleberries with lots of other hikers, head to the Tonga Ridge trail off Hwy 2 just past Skykomish. The views are nice and the meadows are beautiful. After a mile or so of hiking start looking down in the bushes for the fat, juicy berries. Feast here, or keep hiking another 2 miles to the meadow for the plumpest, juiciest ones.

WTA work parties: 8/28, 8/29, 9/4. The project will primarily be routine maintenance tasks such as brushing, clearing drainage, and re-tread work. Sign up.

Park Butte / Schriebers Meadow, Mount Baker National Recreation Area

This very popular trail on the southwest flank of Mount Baker leads to alpine meadows and a glorious view of the mountain. Early on, the trail enters Schreibers Meadow, a prime spot for berries.

WTA work parties: 8/29, 8/30, 9/5, 9/6. North Cascades on the southern slope of Mount Baker. This trail is popular with climbers and casual hikers, this trail delights you with impressive scenery, big trees and open meadows (with ripe huckleberries), and a maintained lookout at the top. Join us for one or both days as we work on annual maintenance, including drainage, treadwork, brushing and perhaps a structure or two. Sign up. 

Gold Creek, Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest at Snoqualmie Pass

Gold Creek Basin is wide low valley bounded by Kendall Peak to the north and Rampart Ridge to the east. It leads to the high country of Alaska Lake/Alaska Mountain, but you will encounter huckleberry meadows much sooner than that.

WTA work parties: 8/28, 8/29, 8/30, 9/12, 9/13. We'll finish the work on a footlog and continue work to improve areas of the trail, which may include the construction of fords and slight trail re-routes. Sign up. 

Lemei Lake Trail, Indian Heaven Wilderness, Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Indian Heaven Wilderness is 20,600 acres of broad, rolling country, straddling the crest of the Cascade Range with subalpine meadows and 175 small lakes.  Lemei Rock is the highest point in the area, at 5,927 feet, and provides majestic views of the Cascades and Wapiki Lake. We'll bring the pancake batter for huckleberry flapjacks! Huckleberries from these meadows are described as some of the best, juiciest, most fantastic fruits in the state!

WTA work party: Volunteer Vacation 9/5 - 9/12, 5 spots remaining. We've got a great project here: we'll spend the week working on the construction of a small bridge and a turnpike replacement. Sign up.

Shredroof Divide, Salmo Priest Wilderness, Colville National Forest

Huckleberries are abundant on the high ridges and in the meadows on this trail in the northeastern-most corner of the state. If you like to feast on your huckleberries in solitude, this is the place for you.

WTA work parties: 8/22, 8/23, 9/5, 9/6, 9/12, 9/13. We will be working from the south end of Shedroof Divide trail, which is in need of some heavy maintenance. The work will include tread restoration, brushing, and some log out. Come join us for a day or weekend of working in a great wilderness area; there is camping available at Gypsy Meadows. Sign up.

Photo by Alan Bauer.